Sea turtle and freshwater turtle nesting beaches face threats from development, predation, and climate change that directly affect nesting female welfare and reproductive success.
Female sea turtles making their nesting journey are undertaking one of the most physically demanding migrations in the animal kingdom. A female emerging onto a developed beach filled with obstacles, lighting, and human disturbance experiences a combination of disorientation and physical exhaustion that impairs her ability to lay successfully. Failed nesting attempts where a female deposits eggs in suboptimal locations and abandons them represent both reproductive loss and welfare harm from the effort expended. Protecting nesting beaches from light pollution, development, and predation directly improves the welfare of nesting females and the survival of their offspring.